The English language teacher of one of Mumbai’s top schools was arrested on Saturday on charges of sexually assaulting one of her students on multiple occasions.

She was arrested under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. These assaults that spanned a little over a year were perpetrated by a 40-year-old teacher, who is married with children of her own. She taught the 16-year-old Class 11 student.

The complaint states that the woman developed an attraction to the boy during multiple meetings held to organise dance groups for the high school’s annual function in December 2023. She reportedly made her first sexual advance in January 2024.

Initially hesitant, the boy began distancing himself from her. In response, the teacher allegedly involved a female friend—who is not affiliated with the school—to contact the boy and speak on her behalf. This friend, who has also been named in the case, is accused of telling the minor that relationships between older women and teenage boys are “quite common” these days.

After the friend’s intervention, the student decided to meet the teacher. “She picked him up in her sedan, took him to an isolated spot and forcefully undressed him and assaulted him. Later, when the student developed acute anxiety, she even gave him some anti-anxiety pills,” said the police.

Subsequently, she also took him to five-star hotels in south Mumbai for sexual encounters. She would often get him drunk before their encounters, the cops said. The teacher will be remanded to police custody until Wednesday.

Months after the alleged abuse began, the boy’s family noticed changes in his behavior and, upon confronting him, learned about the incident. Hoping the teacher would back off with only a few months left before he graduated, they initially chose to stay silent.

After the boy passed his Board exams and left school, he fell into depression. The situation escalated when the teacher allegedly tried to contact him again through a domestic staff member. That’s when the family approached the police.

A case has been registered under sections 4, 6, and 17 of the POCSO Act, along with relevant provisions of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Juvenile Justice Act.

Also read: Teacher arrested for sexually harassing 24 schoolgirls in Himachal Pradesh